Top Striker Jonathan David Joins Juventus on Free Transfer

It was a mystery as to why a top club hadn't signed Jonathan David, and the striker has finally got his move. David announced in May that he would be leaving Lille when his contract expired this summer and fans implored Manchester United to make a move. The 25-year-old has been one of the most prolific strikers in Europe across the last few seasons and Juventus are about to complete a deal that will see him sign on a free transfer. David scored 109 goals in 232 appearances for Lille, putting him second in the club’s list of all-time top scorers, and he has netted an impressive 34 goals in 63 appearances for Canada. The striker has been plying his trade in Ligue 1 since 2020, which is probably the weakest division of Europe's top five leagues. However, he has carried his domestic form into the Champions League, finding the back of the net against Juventus, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Liverpool and Feyenoord last season. United have been linked with David over the last few years, but he was never close to moving to Manchester. Even though he was never a genuine target for United, his move to Juventus means a top-class striker has been taken off the market as United look to sign a prolific goalscorer.

Victor Osimhen joined Galatasaray on loan for the 2024/25 season and signed a one-year contract extension with Napoli until June 2027 so that his value would be protected during his stint away. That means Napoli still have some negotiating power when it comes to selling Osimhen after the conclusion of his Galatasaray loan, but every club knows they want to sell him and that has to be a factor in any potential deal. Napoli were entertaining bids in the region of £70million for Osimhen before talks collapsed with Chelsea last summer and he only turned 26 in December so should be coming into his prime. Yes, Osimhen is a big name and would demand large wages, which goes against Ineos' policy, but he is a prolific centre-forward. Osimhen scored 37 goals in 41 games for Galatasaray - an undeniably impressive record, even in a weaker division - and he would be the dream centre forward signing for many United fans. So why hasn't Osimhen found a new club yet? The answer is probably wage demands. They have appeared to be a stumbling block so far in this window in talks with other clubs and United will not break their wage structure. Having said that, United scored just 44 goals in the Premier League last season and Osimhen would be the perfect solution to Ruben Amorim's biggest problem, so perhaps a compromise could be found. The longer the transfer window goes on, the more United and Osimhen might need each other and a compromise could possibly be reached. Osimhen needs a move away, just as much as United need to sign a prolific centre forward.

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